The Cave Bear of Wenslingen, Grossholz near Ormalingen and the Ergolz in Oltingen
7 March 2024
The stream Ergolz in the canton of Basel-Landschaft has a length of about 30 Kilometres. It originates at an altitude of 830 metres at the Geissflue on the cantonal border of Basel-Landschaft and Solothurn. It then flows through, among others, the villages of Anwil, Oltingen, Rothenfluh and Ormalingen on its way to the Rhine.
Anwil
The Ergolz is the vein of the Talweiher Nature reserve and its fens (Weiher). Numerous waterfalls and streams flow into the Ergolz, an essential habitat for the Black Woodpecker, the beaver, and numerous other animals, as well as a rich variety of flora.
The borders of cantons sometimes pass through villages and towns. Moreover, there are sometimes enclaves of cantons (e.g. in the region of the Murtensee/lac Morat and Schaffhausen/Zürich) and even of neighbouring countries within cantons (e.g. Campesino in canton Tessin and Büssingen in canton Schaffhausen). The village of Oltingen also had such a history with the Ergolz as its border stream.
The Ergolz in Oltingen
Oltingen, the Schaffmatt (820 m) in the background
The St. Nikolaus church (1296) was renovated in the 15th century with beautiful wall paintings (15th century).
In the Middle Ages, the counts of Homberg, Froburg, Homburg, and Thierstein successively ruled the village. Basel acquired the town in 1461. However, the Ergolz separated the village into two parts. The right bank remained the property of Habsburg until the 17th century. Basel acquired this part only in the 17th century.
Ormalingen and the Ergolz
Ormalingen is another village on the banks of the Ergolz. Ormalingen is not only known for the Ergolz and its medieval church. Just beyond the village, one of Switzerland’s largest contiguous forest areas, the Grossholz, begins. The Grossholzweg, therefore, lives up to its name, nomen est omen, with beautiful views of valleys, villages, meadows and streams.
Grossholz
One of these villages is Wenslingen, with its monumental buildings, farmhouses, and views of the Wiesenberg in a landscape of ‘Kopfweiden’, arable land, and picturesque streams.
Wenslingen
Wenslingen, Ormalingen, and Oltingen are derived from Alemannic names. The Alemannic tribe, a German-speaking group, migrated to this region after the Romans’ departure in the 5th century. Upon their arrival, (vulgar) Latin was the spoken language of the Romanised Celts. However, German (specifically, the Alemannic dialect) became the spoken language within a few generations.
De Wisenberg (1002 m)
Ormalingen, Wenslingen, Oltingen and Anwil are only a few kilometres apart. However, even this short stretch boasts numerous cultural and natural attractions, and cave bears felt at home thousands of years ago, as evidenced by the cave (Bärenloch) near Wenslingen and the remains of a cave bear, including its bones and teeth.
The Ergolz eventually flows into the Rhine at the ancient Roman Colonia Augusta Raurica (present-day Augst, Canton of Basel-Landschaft and Kaiseraugst, Canton of Aargau), near the Wyhlen-Augst hydroelectric power station.
Thus, the circle is complete. After all, the Wenslingen, Ormalingen, and Oltingen areas were also inhabited in Roman (and prehistoric and Celtic) times, and the Ergolz, together with a Roman road, connected these villages.
The Swiss Alpine Club
The Swiss Alpine Club (Schweizer Alpen Club, SAC/Club Alpin Suisse, CAS) regularly organises hikes in this area and elsewhere in the country.
(Further information: www.sac-cas.ch)
The fens (Weiher)
